Kindness is the best medicine
by doc boy
Summary: Poor Hermione gets food poisoning after eating a bad fish... Luckily for her she has a certain friend to look after her as she recovers...


Kindness is the best medicine

I do not own Harry Potter

It was springtime. The flowers were blooming, it was warm with a slight breeze and the birds were chirping happily. It seemed like the perfect day to sit under a tree and relax. But unfortunately, for a certain someone, the peacefulness was not to last.

It was dinnertime and the trio was sitting at the great hall eating a long awaited dinner. While the boys were stuffing their faces, Hermione took her time while eating. Then she noticed something.

"Hey is that a new fish?" she asked and pointed at one of the plates.

"Yeah but no one wants to eat it." Said Ron.

"Why not?"

"Because it stinks. People are turned off by it."

Hermione frowned. She leaned forward and took a whiff out of it. Upon smelling it her face brightened up. She turned to look at him.

"What are you talking about Ron? This thing smells delicious"

The boy shrugged.

"Well you can eat it if you want. I'll pass."

Hermione shrugged.

"Suit yourself Ron." She said and started putting some on her own plate while Harry looked on with concern.

"You might want to be careful Hermione. Maybe people are turned off because the fish has gone bad."

Taking his words in consideration, she smelled it again.

"It smells fine to me. But thanks for the concern Harry." She said and smiled at him. He smiled back. After a few seconds Harry shrugged.

"Okay if you say so."

"You want some?"

"Nah. Enjoy your fish."

"Thanks Harry. Enjoy your fried chicken and potatoes."

Harry gave her a warm chuckle and smirk in return as Hermione started scarfing down her fish. Soon she helped herself to some seconds. Some time afterwards, they returned to the common room. After eating so much Hermione felt rather tired so she went to bed early. But her sleep was short lived. At about one in the morning she woke up with a jolt and ran to the bathroom and started vomiting her guts out. Woken up by the startling sounds, Lavender hurried to her aid.

"Hermione, are you okay?"

"No…" she muttered and vomited again.

"What happened?"

"I ate a bad fish… a lot of it…" she said with in a voice choked with hoarseness.

"So maybe you should see the nurse." Suggested Lavender. Hermione shook her head.

"It won't help. Magic can't help this kind of thing. I asked her about it once."

"So what are you gonna do?"

Hermione sighed.

"I'm gonna have to wait it out…"

Lavender looked concerned about this.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Hermione shook her head.

"No… but thanks Lav…" she said and moved to the sink to brush her teeth and drink some water from the tap. She then felt really warm. She sighed heavily and leaned on the sink. Lavender approached her and placed a hand on her forehead.

"You're burning up… you should rest…"

"I plan to…" she replied and went back into the dorm. From there she went down the stairs and curled up on the couch in front of the fire, trembling from sickness. She didn't know how long she lay there. The next thing she remembered was a voice calling her soothingly.

"Hermione? Hermione…" said the voice. She could feel someone rubbing her hand gently. She opened her eyes weakly to find Harry's kind and caring face looking back at her. Her throat was so dry. She opened her mouth to speak.

"H… Harry…" she spoke gently.

"Hey. What's wrong Hermione? Are you sick?"

She closed her eyes and nodded. She sighed.

"You were right about the fish…" she said softly, a hint of defeat in you're her voice. Expecting Harry to say 'I told you so' she was surprised to see a look of sympathy and compassion on his face. He drew his wand and summed a bottle of water for her.

"Here. Drink this. You need to stay hydrated." She smiled sweetly at him. She sat up slowly and took the bottle from him. She drank it all in one go. She sighed deeply.

"Thanks Harry."

"You're welcome." Then he transfigured the empty bottle into a bucket and placed it beside the sofa. He smiled at her.

"Just in case." He said softly. She smiled at him.

"I see someone has been practicing…."she joked. Harry smiled at her.

"I learned from the best." He said to her while smiling coyly, one that she returned as they both blushed.

Their little moment was interrupted by the bell ringing. Hermione looked up at the sound of it.

"You should go." She said.

Harry shook his head.

"Why not?" she questioned.

"Someone needs to look after you…"

Being the independent girl that she is, Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Harry, I appreciate the sentiment but I'm a not a little girl. I can take care of myself."

"Still, I want to make sure you're alright and I want to keep you company. I don't want you to spend the day alone when you're so miserable… the least I could do is keep you company."

"But your classes…"

Harry smiled.

"I'm sure Professor McGonagall and Slughorn will understand Hermione… you've been watching my back and looking after me for six years. Aren't I entitled to return the favor once in a while?"

Hermione smiled sweetly at him, her cheeks turning a little red. Luckily for her, Harry didn't notice it because of her fever. She yawned loudly.

"You should rest Hermione."

"Yeah…." she said tiredly. She laid back down on the couch he too sat on and rested her head in his lap. He blushed. She looked up at him.

"Do you mind?" she asked.

"Not at all…" he reassured her as she slowly drifted to sleep while he played with her hair ever so slightly. He leaned his head back and slowly drifted to sleep…

"Potter…"

He didn't register it.

"Potter…"

"Mister Potter please wake up!" snapped the voice. Harry woke up with a start. He looked up. Beside him stood Professor McGonagall, looking rather mad.

"Might I ask what's happening and why you skipped all your classes today?" she asked sternly. Harry looked at Hermione and then back at his teacher.

"Hermione is sick Ma'am. She has food poisoning."

Her expression softening a little bit, she still held her ground.

"But what does that have to do with you skipping classes?"

Harry nodded a little nervously.

"She's pretty sick, so I wanted to stay here and look after her and keep her company…"

Minerva's expression softened even more. She approached the girl to look at her.

"Oh my, she does look ill, her face is very red. Has she been drinking enough?"

"I conjured her a bottle of water this morning Professor."

She nodded.

"Very good Potter. Given the circumstances, I will overlook you skipping you classes. But please, if such an occasion happens again, do let us know before your classes start okay?"

"Yes Ma'am." He said and his teacher walked off.

During the night Harry woke Hermione up every few hours for her to drink a few bottles of water at a time as she continued to vomit some of it into the bucket.

By morning her face was less red. She woke up slightly to find him sitting on the couch, her head still in his lap while he was sound asleep. She reached up her hand and stroked his cheek slightly. He snorted slightly and woke up and turned to look at her. She giggled at his reaction.

"Do you always snort like that when you woke up?" she teased. He smirked.

"Only when you wake me up." He smirked. She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Wise cracker…" she teased as he moved closer to her.

"Know it all…" he smirked as he moved ever so closer.

"You feeling any better?" he asked.

"Good as new. Thanks for looking after me Harry. That was very sweet…" she said and he smiled at her, further closing the distances between them.

"Anything for you Hermione Granger…" he said with a smirk and closed the distance between them and kissed her softly but tenderly on the lips. Once parted she smirked at him.

"Took you long enough." She said.

"Am I really that dense?"

"Yes. But that's one of the reasons I fell in love you…" she said happily.

"How poetic. That's one of the reasons I fell in love with you…" he said happily and kissed her again. They gazed at each other dreamily. Harry was the one to speak first.

"You like to go outside and sit by the lake? It's a beautiful day."

Hermione smirked and kissed him again.

"I'm all yours Harry…" she smirked and embraced him as they left the common room hand in hand…

The end…

So there it is… hope you guys liked it…

Reviews are most welcome…


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